Bitter Revenge
by rayne127
Summary: Tomoe is already dead but her story continues. The mission she was in was never really stopped. Now Kaoru and Kenshin would suffer with an unfinished business...


This is actually my second story, Don't get me wrong, I haven't finished my first. Anyway, my friend asked me to start a story for him so I did. I ended up liking the story so I decided to continue it. Hope you'll be interested…  
  
Enjoy…  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Bitter Revenge"  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 1: "Recollections of Atrocity"  
  
  
  
  
  
"Kenshin, NO!!!!" the frightened girl shouted at the battered samurai as he charges once again towards an also panting ninja. Kenshin was badly injured. He has been stabbed two deep wounds already, and still he fights, determined to finish it completely. So as the ninja in front of him, he was also beaten up pretty good but somehow managed to get back to his feet. Sanosuke was already down and Megumi was unconscious from the blow she received from the intruder, as she tried to block off the strike towards the thrashed Sanosuke. Sano had good punches thrown at dozens of ninjas. He was up and well, until the enemies' back-up forces came. At that moment, he had loads of trained men at him. Unfortunately, it was too much for Sano to handle. After the previews fight, the bone in his right hand was shattered again, just like in any other fights he had. With an attitude like his, no man would ever give up just because his only powerful weapon was destroyed. Sano continued in his act of defense for those around him, despite his disadvantage.  
  
Not long after Sano and Megumi were out cold, did Megumi wake up and started analyzing the ongoing events. Yahiko was helpless. About 5 ninjas were standing around him, making him very vulnerable to death. They were all carrying weapons of destruction, particularly for shedding blood. They tied up Yahiko's hands and feet to a chain connected to his neck and fastened them tightly to prevent him from running.   
  
"Ggrrrr!! Let me go you demons!! Aah---!" Yahiko was hit at the back of his head to keep him quiet.  
  
"Uhh... If this was a dream... I wish someone would wake me up..." Yahiko whispered just before he was out. His body is supposed to fall if not only for the support of the chains held by the ninjas.  
  
"Ya... Yahik..ko..."Megumi managed to spit out. Her whole body was exhausted because she's not used to battle unlike Kenshin and Sanosuke. She observed more of her surroundings while her concern was still on Yahiko. She saw Sanosuke lying right beside her, his hands and chest were covered in blood. Her tired state dissolved quickly, now that she saw everyone in their lowest condition. Megumi quickly grabbed her medicine box and started working on preserving Sanosuke and his barely dismantled hand. Still in the background, the night was filled with sounds of swords clinging at with other; the sound of the angry flames and the desperate yells calling for the battle to cease. Megumi tried to compose herself, to allow herself to break down now would make her weaker, thus making herself more useless than she thought she was now. Megumi dragged Sanosuke to a nearby tree and leaned his back on it. She then turned back at the scene to see Kaoru on the ground, pushing her unconditioned body to go stop Kenshin.   
  
"Yamete Kenshin!! You can't take anymore hits from him!! You'll... die..." Kaoru's voice fades with every tear added to her already soaked face. The ruined dojo isn't of her concern anymore. Though she knew very well that the dojo was all that's remained of what her father left for her, she left it for Kenshin's fight to the death. The kitchen was burning, the practice room was in crumbles yet she thought of it as nothing but material property and figured that the life of the man she loves is far more important than anything else.   
  
"Kaoru!!... we can't do anything right now. Just stop it. You're sick Kaoru and your illness would get worse if you keep on doing this to yourself! Do you think Kenshin would want that?!"  
  
"Shut up Megumi!! Don't you even care for what happens here?! Kenshin is in a battle where he could very much lose his life!! Why worry on my condition if his state is far more critical?! I can't believe you could be that cold hearted about Kenshin Megumi! It seems that you don't care for him after all, I don't see you doing anything to help!!"  
  
Kaoru would have contained herself if she could but she just can't stand the way things are going.  
  
"Listen, you mindless, inflexible woman!! Are you still blind of what is happening?! No matter what you say or yell, they will not hear you!!! They are not fighting in Tokyo now in the Meiji Era, their whole body and mind of this battle is in Kyoto during the revolution!! Nothing can stop them! Only those people who have lived through the bloody revolution may be able to cut through them! But unfortunately.... they're all DEAD!!..." Megumi was really hurt at what Kaoru said about her not caring for Kenshin. Obviously, Kaoru only sees her point of view and she doesn't consider others' that well. Because of that, Megumi couldn't accept the things she said.  
  
"...And what is this about me not caring for Kenshin?! Do you think helping him in battles is the only way to show it?! Damn, you're ignorant! In the beginning, I didn't have anything! Family... a home... friends... nothing! That's why I thought no more of a reason to live! But Kenshin gave me a family... a new hope. He told me that I could do so many things in my life, that I could even save much more people with medicine than what his sword can. And with that I continue practicing medicine! I don't let anything bring me down because that is nothing Kenshin would not approve of. He would have wanted me to move on, despite what might happen, and I do everything I can to do just that! THAT'S how much I care and respect him! So don't you dare give me that statement!" Megumi knelt down beside her. She didn't mind the quarrel they just had and treated Kaoru's painful yet harmless wound on her leg. Megumi was hiding her face, now that tears also started developing in her weary eyes.  
  
Kaoru continued to weep for Kenshin; she can't do anything to help. She wanted to yell and plead for the battle to stop, just like the time with Jin'e and Kenshin's fight with Saitoh, but this time it's sure not to change a thing. She knew Megumi was right, but it didn't stop her from believing in Kenshin. Furthermore, she didn't stop believing that Kenshin still loves Tomoe. This fight itself states that fact. Kenshin is bringing himself back to the day he was fighting that ninja in the snow, since his opponent at present is part of the same organization that wanted him dead ten years ago. He recalls what he was fighting for at that time and that was Tomoe. The same group that required Tomoe's services and Enishi's cooperation, lived on until the peaceful days in the Meiji era. Still having the same ideals for the future---"wipe out all Ishin shishi members, especially Battousai the slasher".   
  
Kaoru convinced herself that Kenshin was fighting for her because he sees her as Tomoe. She didn't think about that anymore, knowing that she can't erase his love for Tomoe. Clearly, it would just be a waste of time, so she just have to live with what she have Kenahin as--- a close frend... or so she thought...  
  
Kaoru tried reaching out for him as she sees him crouching in front of the enemy, panting hard, holding his sakabatou in his bloodied hands. Her eyes were constantly blurring by tears off her vision...  
  
"Onegai... someone just... stop them..." Kaoru said in a whisper clouded by sobs.   
  
"HYYAAAAAAAA!!!" Kenshin rose up in one jump and now hovers over the enemy. He held his sword atop of him as he dove from the sky.  
  
"Ryu Tsui Sen!!!!" A cloud of smoke covered the battleground and the opponent was nowhere in sight. Kenshin remained knelt on the ground. His sword shoved into the soil, creating an elongated mark across that area.   
  
As the smoke slowly vanishes, Kenshin saw that he actually missed. There came a figure behind the dissipating smog, a tall one, one of Kenshin's adversaries. The ninja attacked, throwing kunais at him but Kenshin easily dodged them. Kenshin docked to avoid the kunais and almost immediately, turned clockwise with his sword in his right hand. His sakabatou hit solid hard at the base of the ninja's back-neck. This move made his opponent shot relatively fast to the opposite direction his body was going. The ninja wailed in pain. He felt his bone snap off its place. The impact of that swing blew out the consciousness off the ninja.   
  
Kaoru regain her faith with the sudden upturn of the battle. Now, victory was weighed in favor of Kenshin. But still, there is yet Kenshin's condition to consider. He was bleeding so hard, almost as if all his blood had run out.   
  
Just as they thought it was over, Yahiko called out to them. 2 of the 5 men surrounding him run in fear of being defeated. Their leader has been paralyzed to the ground, and they consider him the greatest in their faction. Now, only three are guarding Yahiko, however, they decided to rely on dirty tactics, since they don't have any other option.   
  
Kenshin's head was spinning and throbbing hard in exhaustion and agony. Despite the ongoing suffering with his physical self, he couldn't let them take Yahiko captive. So he turned around to face the remaining three. Slowly he walked towards them, accompanied by his discouraging words.  
  
"I think you should let him go now, that you should. There is no point in keeping this up, you know that you've lost." Kenshin was holding his right shoulder with his left hand as he neared the 3 ninjas. His breathing was shallow, you could really tell he was up to no more fights, and yet...  
  
"We will not give him to you! Nether will we surrender! Our leader might be beaten but he's not dead yet!" The tallest of them spoke. Their hopes are still high but they can't deny their fear in him that's why they started moving backwards while Kenshin advances on them.  
  
"Oh... is that so? I believe your leader won't be able to fight anymore. Now that he is paralyzed, I assure you he won't be able to do as much as even stand. What are you going to do now?" Kenshin eyes were a piercing blue that night. His speech was very dark and full of dread. Much like Battousai in the revolution, and that's what made Kaoru and the others fear the possibility that Kenshin might return to his old self.   
  
Kenshin's stare made the ninjas tremble in fear. It gives a certain glint of death that would come to them soon, if they make another false move.  
  
"C...c'mon you guys... let's just get out of here." One of them requested. He tried to free Yahiko's right arm of its chains when the tallest of them punch him in the face. He was drawn backwards towards the ground. The other guy was now furious.  
  
"You fool! Why give up?! Our opponent can barely stand!! We could finish him right now, then all this would be over!! We have to continue!"  
  
"But---" "But what?!" the man on the ground was cut off. He really wanted to give up but he won't let him. The tall guy was certain and he has made his decision clear, that he will not rest until Kenshin is not in his grave.  
  
"Then if you useless cowards won't help me defeat him... I'll kill him myself!!" Then he immediately raised his left arm and two ninja stars came out from inside his sleeve. Kenshin saw it was coming right to his head. He thought there was only one, since the second star was at the back of the other. So he just swung his sword to block the star. Then to his and everybody's surprise, there came another.   
  
"Kenshin get down!!---Kenshin watch it!!---Get out of the way!!" Yahiko, Megumi and Kaoru shouted in fear. Kaoru panicked in horror and repeated her warning. But Kenshin's reflexes have diminished so he didn't see that second incoming. Kaoru looked away immediately because of the pain forming inside her. She can hardly breathe and she felt so cold and so scared. She bowed down while feeling her sickness caving in on her, but she tried not to draw any attention.   
  
Out of nowhere, Sano came from behind Kenshin and pulled him out of harm's way. The ninja star flew right past Kenshin's head, missing his ear at about half an inch. Kenshin was startled, he didn't know what happened. He just saw Sano charging up to the three ninjas using his left hand.   
  
"You are so good in fighting, how bout learning how to give up?!!"  
  
They were beaten! At last! One of them surrendered and volunteered to take of Yahiko's shackles.   
  
Megumi rushed up to Kenshin right away. She was amazed at how Kenshin could still stand with the wounds he had.   
  
"Ke...Kenshin? Are you alright? At last the battle is over! I should treat your wounds, please stay still..." Kenshin didn't reply. He was staring at something further away.  
  
The fire in the kitchen has settled down. Smoke was the only thing the fire left. It was already dawn when the whole issue was over. Police whistles can already be heard coming towards them. Someone from the neighboring houses reported a big commotion in the Kamiya school so the station sent police officers to check it out.   
  
"Hey Kenshin! Daijobu desu ka? Sorry for causing more trouble... I shouldn't have gotten in the way..." Yahiko said as he came with Sano at his side. Kenshin frankly wasn't listening. He raised a hand to silence them off still staring at something by the dojo grounds.   
  
"I'll be fine everyone, but... what...what happened to Kaoru-dono?!" he hurried his way to her, seeing her lying on the ground. She was trembling so bad and her whole body was tense. Kenshin sensed she was in great pain. Megumi and the rest followed him, they were also concerned of what happened to her. Megumi checked Kaoru's status and it wasn't as good as she expected it would be.   
  
"Her fever has gone way up! She'll convulse if we don't do something!" Kenshin's eye widened. He was afraid that they might lose her. He started crying... unconsciously...   
  
"Who let her out of her room?! She's sick! Everyone knows that! Who would let her out!?!" The rest were surprised by Kenshin. They never saw him like this before and it's certainly not like him to get this mad at his friends. They soon noticed that he was crying continuously, holding Kaoru's hand.  
  
"This is all my fault! I shouldn't have let her be involved in this nightmare... why can't her pain just be mine to bear?" with that, Kenshin positioned his right arm behind her back and his left arm at the back of her knee. Then he raised Kaoru in his arms and started walking to her room.   
  
"All right. Yahiko, get some hot water, a towel and my medicine box then place them in Kaorus' room. Sano, you go to the clinic to Dr. Genzai and get your injuries treated. I'll stay here and attend to Kaoru, you got that?"  
  
"Right!" both of them said in response. Yahiko went to work and Sano walked his way to the clinic, eventually, the police came and started collecting all the bad guys.  
  
Meanwhile, with the time that took Megumi to give orders and handle the cops, Kenshin already settled Kaoru in her bed.  
  
"K..Kaoru-dono... can you hear me? Please say something... onegai... dame shine da (don't die)!!" Kenshin cried by Kaoru's side, still holding her hand. He began coughing up blood, pain started pricking his chest but he couldn't let her go.  
  
"Kenshin?... Wh..why are you here? You should let... Megumi... tend to your... wounds.." she urged Kenshin to go but he was so stubborn as to stay. He coughed more blood, until he couldn't take the pain and ended up lying on the floor. Kaoru got up as fast as she could then cradled Kenshin's body on her lap.  
  
"Kenshin... no! Don't do this! Why would you stay when you're life is in graver danger than mine? Why are you doing this?!" she looked at him with watery eyes and saw the peaceful rurouni she loved come out to the surface once again.   
  
"I'm... not... leaving you... I know you might think... that I brought back the fight in my past... and that I fought... for the same reason as before... but Tomoe is my past... and you are my present..."   
  
Kenshin stirred in pain. Kaoru's tears flowed harder.  
  
"...I... love you...I always...have..."   
  
With that, Kenshin's eyes dropped and he has finally given up to darkness of sleep. Kaoru tightened her embrace. She couldn't describe what she was feeling, happiness mixed with fear and pain.   
  
"I love you too, Kenshin. But why must be in near death could you have finally said it? Kenshin... please don't leave me now..."  
  
Her head was running through all that has happened. She wanted to find out how things turn out like this... why should it end in such a bad way? She reminisces to the root of it all and remembered how it all began...  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Author's note: Now that I've finished the1st chapter, I hope to know what you think about it. Could you give me ideas on how this story would go? Anything will do. Suggest anything and I'll think of a way of putting them all together in the story. If you want Sano to fall in love with Kaoru, I'll squeeze it in… Anything as long as it's realistic… Thanks for reading… 


End file.
